Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Hortlandia 2013 wrap-up…

Reports are I scooted into the sale right before traffic outside became a nightmare…thank god. There was maximum people crunch right inside the door though. Sometimes I enjoy the crowds, watching what they’re drawn to and eavesdropping on their conversations. This was not one of those times, so after dealing with the masses for the first row I bailed and walked to the back corner and then worked my way out towards the front. This plan of attack helped me keep my sanity.

I don’t know why I feel compelled to tell you about my grouchy ways that morning, unless it’s maybe a sort of apology for not having taken many photos. I did snap a couple at the Rare Plant Research booth, mainly as an excuse to remind you about their open house in May…the 18 & 19th from 11am to 4pm.

Also at the RPR booth, Sophora davidii. I seem to be hopelessly drawn to all Sophora…

Elsewhere I was drawn to this large container of Podophyllum peltatum. Since I was doing a little shopping for the “new” Schefflera planting border I did have my eye out for shade lovers.

So of course the Rodgersia here jumped right out at me...

Salvia discolor! Yay, I’ve wanted this plant since hearing about it when Paul Bonine did a talk on at Joy Creek Nursery a couple of years ago.

Seems like every time I’ve run across it has been in August or September, and that’s too late in the year to buy what will be an annual in our climate. This one will go in the sun.

The HPSO makes it so easy to shop this sale. Just look at all the plants already in the holding area! Grab them, drop them off, grab more…

(danger!)

I saw several blooming Aloes this year. Here’s a shocker though…I didn’t buy a single succulent!

Senecio petasites, such soft leaves and so tender...

There were several Echiums at this year’s sale, first up Echium wildpretii…

I would have grabbed a couple but I already had a pair at home, recently picked up at Annie’s Annuals by my friend JJ. Here are mine…

I was a little concerned the leaves were too wide and blue to be E. wildpretii, as its leaves appear narrower and with a silver cast (below, as it currently looks in my garden) but since the two different sources for plants have ones looking so similar it must be the juvenile form.

Since I’m on the subject my current E. wildpretii it has a chunky little trunk on it now (it's been in the garden for two full summers already)...

And looks like it will be blooming soon. That’s if this unpleasantness doesn't spread.

One more thing I got from Annie’s which I must share (I know this has nothing to do with the HPSO sale, c'est la vie!), Tropaeolum peregrinum “Canary Creeper”…

It’s an annual vine to help fill in the new trellis until the Clematis tibetana bulks up. I love it for the leaves but the flowers are pretty cool too.

Here are a couple more Echium from the show, E. pininana on the right and E. candicans 'Star of Madeira' on the left.

Abutilon, cannas and castor bean, oh my!

There were so many Epimediums at this sale!!! They were everywhere...

Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Multiplex’ (Double Flowered Bloodroot)

If I could have taken home anything from the sale it would have been the pair of trunking Yucca rostrata at the Cistus booth. $200 seemed a great price for such a healthy plant, whose trunk I stupidly didn’t manage to get an image of…

So what did I buy? Well I realized as I was going through these images I sadly neglected to take any photos at The Desert Northwest’s booth, I was trying to not fall too much in love with anything there because I’d already put in a special order in advance for 3 different Banksia. We’ll start with my second (ehm, okay third if you could the first one which passed on to plant heaven) Banksia serrata…

Banksia grandis…cause it’s SO cool!

And Banksia blechnifolia…because Ian (owner of TDN) suggested it and I agreed. I love it!

And a surprise Ian threw in…Grevillea rivularis, which looks like it might be soft but trust me, those sweet leaves are actually pretty prickly. If you look close on the right you can also see the beginnings of what I think is a bloom...very exciting!

Okay here’s the official HPSO plant sale haul…

The Salvia discolor

Another Libertia, because I needed one more. Love the orange!

Pyrrosia sheareri…

And Peltoboykinia watanabei, both from Far Reaches Farm.

There is a pair of Rodgersia podophylla ‘Bronze Form’…

As well as a couple of Acanthus sennii, I’d offered to watch for one for my friend Ricki and when I found two well, I couldn’t just leave one all lonely on the table…so naturally it came home with me!

There was one other plant visible in the “haul” but we’re not talking about it because it’s a gift and the person whom it’s for might just be reading this, so shhh! (pay no attention mom)

Looks like, despite being a little grouchy and the crush of the crowd, you found some great plants! Thanks for the tip about Rare plant research! It's the same weekend as the Heronswood sale. Decisions, decisions. Maybe if the Heronswood sale opens early enough, I can shop there and then have time to drive down to the RPR open. On the other hand, Far Reaches is only 40 minutes from Heronswood...

Usually the crowds are part of the fun, but this time I was getting super irritated by all the people being clueless with their big cardboard flats. The ones they hand out at the door are huge and I swear some folks were using them like weapons.

What a great sale! Sorry to hear you started the day grumpy. Crowds make me grumpy too. Is that Fall sale worth going to? Next year I'm going to Hortlandia for sure. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your Echium's unpleasantness doesn't spread.

Alison the fall sale used to be pretty much just like the spring sale. Same space, almost the same vendors, just a bit smaller. Last year (2012) they cancelled it due to lack of turnout, I guess they'd been loosing money. So this year is the first year of the new smaller fall event. It's at a different location and I have no idea what it will be like, no doubt I'll be going!

Reminds me of the White Flower Farm sale I attended last June only they allow wagons and a total free for all. They need to take a page from Hortlandia's book. Fortunately for me, the gate crashers were all interested in the hard goods and I went right for the plants. Looks like you scored quite the haul.

Although I much prefer shopping for plants when I'm the only customer in the place, this seems like it could be a lot of fun! Seeing the photos of the holding area, I have 3 questions: 1) are you limited to one box? 2) where is the bamboo? 3) who chose the 15' tall monster in the background? That seems huge!

I almost don't miss my dead E. wildpretii anymore. Just don't show any of them in bloom and I think I'll be okay.

1. Oh gosh no! In fact you can buy way more than you can carry because they have a load up area where you can just drive up and get your plants after you've paid.2. Bamboo...well, there must have been some...(?)3. Good question. It was still there when I retrieved my plants and checked out.

Actually, I already own a Salvia discolor. We've had it for four or five years. It gets lots of sun and is very happy. It's not very hardy but it has come back each time it freezes back. The almost black flowers are super cool up close but hard to spot from a distance.

I looked for you at the sale, but it was insanely crowded and I wanted in-and-out (after getting stuck in that awful traffic). I love-love-love Salvia discolor. It was the centerpiece of my front door border at my former house and I finally bought one last year at HPSO. It lives in a pot and for the winter I put the pot on wheels and slid it into the garage. It's a little meek looking right now, but it has plenty of new growth and I've been babying it. As soon as we get some heat it will hit it's stride again. I'm prepared to bend over backwards for this Salvia! Libertia is my new fave - I have 4 of the orange ones and a new tall gold one from the Xera table.

Today I finally planted the big honking opuntias that you gave me last fall, so see I'm not always so speedy! They spent the winter in a container in a somewhat sheltered (from the rain) spot and had only just started to grow roots.

I agree the epimediums were definitely the "it" plant of the day. You got some beautiful banksias from Ian at TDN. And I bought that same Pyrrosia sheareri from Far Reaches - Sue was just so enthusiastic about it!

If you get two comments from me, I apologize. I wrote something about the roller coaster of emotions a great plant sale brings on. Thoughts like "Why does there have to be such hordes of people here?" quickly followed by "Thank goodness there's such a turnout for these great nurseries." And I think the canary creeper/nasturtium is going to love your garden -- didn't like mine at all. Thanks for taking us along to the sale.

I usually hit these sales towards the end, when the crowds have lessened. I don't know, though...I think everyone was eager roe this one (we're all more than ready to start gardening). It will be fun to watch you find the perfect spots for your new arrivals.

Last year my Salvia discolor was nice and bushy for its first year. It's scraggly now and I dare not prune it (but maybe I should?). In the cold garage most of the leaves fell off, but I fed it fish emulsion in March and it now has lots of new leaves. I'm waiting for the heat to get it going. I also hated Libertia, and now I'm in love. Funny how that happens. The tall gold Libertia is really something special - did you see it?

That shh... plant is on my list this year. I've even got a spot for it after moving a few other plants around. I had Salvia discolor before winter's revenge set in several years ago and smacked me out of my zonal denial. It was cool...ah the memories. I love Sophora too. It's those pinnate leaves. ... That photo of your garden with the Yucca r. I am very impressed with your Black Mondo Grass. I've had mine in the ground for at least 5 years and it looks nothing like yours. Kudos. Thanks for this post. It was fun. (And I didn't spend any money.) :)